Movie Review - A Million Ways to Die in the West

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)

Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, and Liam Neeson

Directed by Seth MacFarlane

I'm not sure I ever thought I'd write a sentence containing this sentiment, but Sarah Silverman is the best part of Seth MacFarlane's much too long A Million Ways to Die in the West.  Quite frankly, it's a shame the female comic isn't in the film a bit more.  Then again, I can take Silverman in small doses so it's probably better her role as a morally conscious prostitute in 1882 Arizona is only a supporting one.  Still, her comedic timing with co-star Giovanni Ribisi as her celibate boyfriend provide the film its few and far between laughs.

In an obvious attempt to meld Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles with modern-day Family Guy sensibilities, writer-director MacFarlane throws a bunch of jokes at the audience (at least in the first two-thirds of its two hour running time), but they mostly fall flat.  MacFarlane's comedic timing works on an animated show like Family Guy where we can easily suspend our reality, but when MacFarlane himself is onscreen rattling off jokes that overstay their welcome, we tire much easier, unable to really foster his scattershot comedic style in a live action setting.

MacFarlane is essentially playing himself (or at least the persona we've come to know) in the character of Albert, a sheep farmer who desires nothing more than to escape the wild west where death is around every corner.  When his girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried) leaves him for Foy (Neil Patrick Harris), the proprietor of a mustache grooming store, Albert is heartbroken until he meets cowgirl Anna (Charlize Theron) whose no-nonsense style he falls for right away.  Anna reciprocates Albert's feelings, but she is unfortunately involved in a bad marriage with the evil Clinch (Liam Neeson) who is none too pleased when he discovers that his wife is having relations with another man.

Throw in a bunch of fart jokes, Neil Patrick Harris pooping into a hat (scratch that -- multiple hats), Sarah Silverman having a certain male bodily fluid dripping off the side of her face, and many more low-level bathroom-related jabs that any eighth grader would find hilarious and you've got A Million Ways to Die in the West.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - Ted

Ted (2012)

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi, and Seth MacFarlane

Directed by Seth MacFarlane

Thanks to a convenient wish on a star that came true, Josh Bennett has grown up with a real-live teddy bear as his best friend for over twenty years.  Josh (Mark Wahlberg) certainly hasn't kept the bear a secret, seeing as how Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) made appearances on Johnny Carson's late night talk show decades ago, but both Josh and Ted's celebrity has faded as all flash in the pan news stories are wont to do.  Josh now works at a rental car dealership, and Ted stays home, smokes weed, has sex (somehow) with skanky women, and is pretty much that college buddy or coworker you know who has refused to grow up.  While Ted's an all around lovable guy, his rowdy ways don't sit well with Josh's longtime girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) who, finally fed up with Ted's shenanigans, gives Josh the ultimatum to either have Ted move out or lose her forever.

If only Ted had stopped there.  But, no.  Much like a meandering episode of Family Guy, writer-director Seth MacFarlane's live-action film debut throws a bit more at the audience -- a snobby love interest for Lori (Joel McHale) and a kidnapping plot involving an obsessed fan (Giovanni Ribisi) of Ted's which results in one of the most ridiculous (and utterly unfunny) climaxes this year -- and the goodwill that MacFarlane gains from a rather hilarious opening hour is tossed out the window.  It's rather unfortunate because I laughed out loud multiple times during the film's opening two acts, but I'm not sure I even cracked a hint of smile during the final forty minutes -- and in a comedy, that's a problem.

Nevertheless, Ted does have a lot of positives going for it.  For one, the Ted special effects are quite impressive and worthy of some commendation.  Secondly, I give MacFarlane credit for crafting half of a good film and while that sounds like damning praise, I mean that fully as a compliment.  I wasn't expecting much from him -- I like Family Guy, but can only take it in mild doses -- and he proved me wrong.  Lastly, Mark Wahlberg actually didn't suck here.  For the 2010 RyMickey Awards, I awarded Mr. Wahlberg the dubious honor of Worst Performance of the Year for his role in The Other Guys and said, "Wahlberg and comedy do not mix."  While his role here isn't over-the-top fantastic by any stretch of the imagination, he was certainly bearable (pun slightly intended).

The RyMickey Rating:  C+